Two thousand more overseas Filipino workers have been transported to their respective provinces by the government, according to new data released by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).
Based on the data, 2,218 OFWs were transported to their home provinces on Wednesday, August 12, bringing the total OFWs sent home to 139,059.
The government started transporting OFWs en masse in May.
The breakdown on the transport of OFWs: May 15- 24 (8,922); May 25-31 (25,002); June 1-7(8,902); June 8-14 (7,279); June 15-21(6,782); June 22-28 (10,231); June 29-July 5 (9,113); July 6-12 (10,163); July 13-19 (10,501); July 20-26 (11,546); July 27-August 2 (11,630) Aug 3-Aug 9 (11,384); Aug 10 (2,719); and Aug 11 (2,667).
Last week, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello reiterated they will not tire of assisting OFWs repatriated to the country.
"We will not get tired of assisting our returning OFWs, and facilitate their transport to the provinces and be with their families. This is just a small way to repay their enormous contribution to our country,” he said in a statement.
On August 9, Bello also announced that President Duterte has approved the release of additional P5 billion for the repatriation and assistance to OFWs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the huge part of the fresh funds will be released to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which undertakes the repatriation of OFWs displaced on-site due to lockdowns and closure of establishments overseas.
With the additional funding, Bello said, more OFWs will benefit from the Abot Kaya ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program and even more overseas workers will be repatriated and provided with assistance.
DoLE has been extending a one-time P10,000 or $200 cash aid under AKAP to pandemic-affected OFWs.